1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fishing tackle and equipment, and more particularly to a disposable lure having a fish attracting scent therewith. The present lure contains a buoyant element therein, providing for the lure to be positioned at a predetermined depth above the bottom or below the surface of the body of water in which it is used, depending upon the length of the depending weighted leader.
2. Description of the Related Art
The activity of fishing has become more sophisticated over the years, as anglers have continually learned more about the sport. Initially, anglers used natural fish foods (worms, insects, minnows, etc.) as bait, all of which work fairly well, but which have their drawbacks. The use of any live or recently killed natural prey, leads to acquisition and storage problems for the angler. It is always easier to attain and retain an artificial lure, than to attain and retain natural bait (minnows, etc.) for fish, and to keep that natural bait in a fresh state.
As a result, the artificial lure was developed. Such artificial lures have a myriad of different configurations, ranging from flies made of plastic, bird feathers or down, etc. for fly fishing, to various types of wood and plastic plugs and other lures which are intended to at least loosely resemble a large insect, tadpole, or other prey commonly eaten by many types of fish.
A universal problem with such artificial lures, is that they do not emanate the scent of a natural bait organism. Fish often rely heavily upon the sense of scent in order to find food, with scent being more heavily relied upon at relatively greater distances and among fish species which frequent dark and/or murky waters. A fish which is primarily attracted to food or prey by the scent given off by that prey, will not seek out an unnaturally scented or unscented artificial lure by means of the sense of scent.
Accordingly, anglers began to treat artificial lures with various scents intended to attract fish, such as various types of oils and the like attained from other fish, etc. Many artificially developed scents have also been developed, which have been found to be attractive to fish. The combination of a lure which emits a fish attractive scent, to lure fish from a relatively great distance from the lure, and a lure having a visually attractive appearance to the fish to attract the fish at relatively closer range, has resulted in much greater success for the angler, when all other factors are equal.
However, the scents which are generally attractive to fish, are often at least somewhat repellent to humans. The need to open a container of scent and treat the lure with the scent in some manner, is generally regarded as a less than pleasant task for the angler. This led to lures which were pretreated with a scent material. However, the scent was not sealed within the lure, so the same problem of the lure emitting a scent which was undesirable to the angler, still existed.
Anglers have also found that different species of fish tend to prefer different types of water conditions, and different levels in a given body of water as well. For example, bass tend to live in relatively still waters, generally with some type of vegetation or the like growing on the bottom. Bass are a very popular game fish for the angler, and accordingly, anglers have sought to develop lures and equipment which are suited for such an environment.
Ideally, a lure intended for bass (or other fish having similar habits) would emit a fish attractive scent, as fish adapted to such conditions rely heavily upon scent to locate their prey. The lure should not float upon the surface, as bass and other fish with similar habits do not generally feed upon the surface. However, the lure should not sink to the bottom either, but should seek some level above the bottom, clear of weeds and/or other obstructions on the bottom of the body of water. Finally, the scent with which the lure is treated, should remain sealed until the lure is used, with the lure being economically disposable after a single use in order to minimize exposure to the scent material.
The present disposable, buoyant scented lure responds to each of the above needs, while conventional lures developed in the past fail to achieve one or more of the above aspects. A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,688,430 issued on Sep. 5, 1972 to Duane C. Balch, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a few different embodiments of a lure comprising a flexible pouch with a slit along one side, somewhat like a conventional coin purse for carriage in a pocket. The hook and leader are installed along the bottom of the slit, with the leader passing through the pouch. Additional passages may be provided in the pouch in order for the scent of the bait contained therein to be emitted into the surrounding water during use. In one embodiment, the scent is sealed within a frangible container within the pouch. In contrast, the present scented lure is completely sealed until use, with the angler inserting the hook through the side of the lure and through the otherwise sealed scent containing area in order to allow the scent to escape therefrom. Moreover, the present lure is buoyant, economically disposable, and may include means for suspending the lure at a predetermined distance above the bottom or below the surface of the body of water in which it is used. Balch is silent regarding these features.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,934 issued on May 4, 1976 to Melvin J. Visser, titled xe2x80x9cOdoriferous Fishing Device,xe2x80x9d describes the impregnation of a sintered metal device (i.e., a powdered metal which has been processed to form a body with a myriad of minute porosities therein) with a material which has a scent which attracts fish. The basic structure of the device is the same as that of an Oilite(copyright) bearing, but rather than impregnating the sintered metal with lubricating oil, a material having a fish attracting scent is used. No sealing of the scent within the lure before use is disclosed by Visser, nor is the method of installing a hook in the device for breaking the sealed capsule, as provided by the present invention. Visser also does not provide flotation for his lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,203 issued on Jun. 22, 1976 to William O. Williams, Jr., titled xe2x80x9cFishing Lure,xe2x80x9d describes the use of a strip of chamois material which has been impregnated with animal blood, fish oil, and/or other fish attracting material. Williams, Jr. installs a hook through the flat piece of chamois, or, alternatively attaches the chamois to the hook of an existing lure. Williams, Jr. does not disclose any means of sealing the scent within the exposed chamois material prior to installing a hook therein for use, nor does he describe any inherent buoyancy or flotation for his chamois lure. The present lure seals the scent producing material therein until it is punctured by a hook immediately prior to use, and is also buoyant in order to be used at any desired depth, depending upon the associated tackle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,840 issued on Jul. 20, 1976 to John R. E. Charron, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a series of lure embodiments, each having a tubular body with a separable closure. The hollow body is used to contain various materials which producer a scent which attracts fish. In some embodiments, the cap or closure may include a needle which may be used to puncture the hollow body, in order to release the contents of the body. However, the Charron device is not buoyant if pierced, as indicated in column 2, lines 36-37 of the Charron ""840 U.S. Patent. Moreover, Charron intends for his lure to be reusable and to be recharged or refilled with scent material, unlike the economically disposable lure of the present invention. Also, while Charron provides means for the attachment of hooks to his lure body, and in fact installs the shank of a hook through the body in at least some embodiments, he does not use the hook to form the scent releasing apertures, as provided by the present lure invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,575 issued on Oct. 26, 1976 to Toshio Morita, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a generally conventional lure body having a series of external hooks essentially permanently attached thereto. The lure body includes a hollow interior, into which a scent containing capsule may be installed and closed therein. The Morita disclosure describes the use of a needle to puncture the capsule within the lure body, as the hooks cannot be used for such due to their external attachment to the lure body. Moreover, the Morita lure is not economically disposable, and no buoyancy is described.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,420 issued on Feb. 9, 1982 to Robert J. Dickinson et al., titled xe2x80x9cFishing Device,xe2x80x9d describes a wire assembly for elevating bait or a lure above the bottom of a body of water, when fishing. The Dickinson et al. device basically comprises a weighted, V-shaped trailing wire with an L-shaped wire extending vertically upwardly therefrom. The upper, distal end of the L-shaped wire is equipped with a fish hook. No lure or fish attracting scent is disclosed by Dickinson et al. The Dickinson et al. device may be considered generally of the group called xe2x80x9cCarolina rigs,xe2x80x9d which support bait or a lure above the bottom. The present scented lure may be attached to such a rig or tackle, as desired. However, the supporting tackle required for the present lure is considerably simpler than the Dickinson et al. device, due to the buoyancy of the present lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,179 issued on Jul. 23, 1985 to Eugene T. Larew, titled xe2x80x9cSalt Impregnated Fishing Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a method of mixing finely divided table salt (sodium chloride) with the uncured liquid resins of which the lure body is made, prior to heating and curing the lure body plastic. The resulting lure has a salty taste, which is said to cause a fish to retain the lure in the fish""s mouth for a longer period of time, thereby allowing the angler more time to set the hook. However, the salt impregnation does nothing to provide a scent to attract a fish to the lure in the first place, and in fact, Larew states in col. 4, lines 10-13, that he prefers that the lure not be scented, as he believes that such scent would mask the salty taste of the lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,348 issued on Nov. 19, 1985 to Raymond M. Cooper, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a rigid lure body having a series of hooks permanently attached thereto and extending therefrom, a hollow interior, a sliding closure panel, and a series of inlet and outlet passages therethrough. A scented bait may be placed within the hollow body, with the passages providing water flow through the body to wash the scent therefrom and attract fish. The Cooper lure thus more closely resembles the lure of the Morita ""575 U.S. Patent, discussed further above, than it does the present disposable scented lure invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,223 issued on May 20, 1986 to John D. Hastings, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Lure Composition,xe2x80x9d is primarily directed to a method of making a fish attracting composition, describing ingredients and proportions therefor. While Hastings also discloses a specific lure configuration and indicates that the hook passes through the relatively soft material of the scented lure body, he does not specifically provide for flotation of his lure body. Hastings notes that the specific gravity of the preferred plastic material of which his lure body is formed is 0.96 (column 2, line 51), which is insufficient to support a hook imbedded therein and a leader extending therefrom. Also, the Hastings lure emits its scent at all times, and is not sealed before use, as is the present scented lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,542 issued on Apr. 12, 1988 to John F. Floyd, titled xe2x80x9cScented Fishing Lure,xe2x80x9d describes a plug formed of natural or synthetic fibers, and cured by applying a resin thereto. The plug is soaked in a fish attracting scent material, which wicks into the porous plug. The Floyd scented lure is homogeneous throughout, and does not include any form of exterior seal to prevent the scent from dissipating from the lure. In contrast, the present scented lure is sealed until immediately prior to use, whereupon the insertion of a fish hook into the device, punctures the scent chamber to allow the scent to emanate therefrom. Also, Floyd makes no statement regarding buoyancy, but it is well known that hard polymeric resins are generally more dense than water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,183 issued on Feb. 19, 1991 to Robert G. Carver, titled xe2x80x9cBanana Oil Impregnated Fishing Lures,xe2x80x9d describes the mixing of a relatively small amount of banana oil with the soft plastic used for forming a fishing lure. Carver states that fish are attracted to the banana oil scent emitted by the lure and that fish will tend to retain the lure in the mouth for a longer period of time, than with lures not treated in such a manner. Carver also describes the topical coating of the lure with a banana oil mix, as well as molding such an oil into the plastic at the time of molding the plastic. However, Carver does not provide a sealed chamber which retains all of the scent or chemical therein until it is punctured immediately before use, and he is silent regarding buoyancy or economical disposal of his lure after a single use, which features are a part of the present lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,614 issued on May 19, 1992 to Toshio Morita, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Line Device,xe2x80x9d describes a float assembly for suspending the distal hooked end of a fishing line in a body of water. The Morita device essentially comprises an elongate wire which is suspended from a float at its center point. The fishing line extends generally along the wire, with the hook and non-buoyant bait or lure suspended from the distal end of the line. The Morita assembly cannot hold the bait or lure at some predetermined distance above the bottom, as there is no reference from the bottom due to the float assembly, and the bait or lure itself is not buoyant. No disclosure of any form of scent dispersion from the lure is provided in the Morita ""614 U.S. Patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,829 issued on Jun. 8, 1993 to Peter Morton, titled xe2x80x9cFish Bait,xe2x80x9d describes a bait assembly comprising a quantity of bait wrapped in a porous fabric sleeve, which is coated with a semi-permeable membrane. Morton states that the membrane allows the scent of the bait to pass therethrough, which is not desired in the present fishing lure and bait scent. The present invention completely seals the scent within a chamber within the lure body, until the chamber is punctured or broken by the angler immediately before use. In this manner, the scent (which is normally undesirable to humans) is completely contained within the chamber, and cannot be detected prior to using the lure and bait.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,447 issued on Oct. 19, 1993 to Lavern R. Rhinehart, titled xe2x80x9cBottom Bouncer Jig For Walleyes,xe2x80x9d describes a wire assembly wherein one or more sinkers is/are captured along one leg of the wire, with a second leg having a wrap around the first leg to prevent the sinkers from leaving the wire. Rhinehart states that his jig xe2x80x9cmaintains the presence of the lure or bait at the desired distance from the bottomxe2x80x9d (col. 4, lines 29-30). However, he makes no disclosure of any type of lure (buoyant or otherwise), so the specific function of his jig assembly with a lure attached is not clear from his disclosure. In any event, Rhinehart does not disclose any form of scent for a lure, means of applying a scent to a lure, or a scented lure, in his disclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,499 issued on Apr. 19, 1994 to Matthew A. Miller, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Device,xe2x80x9d describes a float having a weight suspended therefrom. The fishing line passes generally horizontally through the float. The float of the Miller assembly does not provide sufficient buoyancy to support the entire apparatus on the surface of the water, but rather supports the fishing line at some predetermined distance above the bottom, depending upon the length of the line supporting the attached weight, as well as the length of the elongate weight itself. Miller is apparently directed to use with a lure having a negative buoyancy, as he does not depend upon the lure itself to provide the desired flotation above the weight. In contrast, the present buoyant lure provides the desired flotation, and no additional float(s) is/are needed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,935 issued on Aug. 29, 1995 to William E. Pahle, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Lure With Jet-Stream Hole And Dried Bait Plugs For Insertion Therein,xe2x80x9d describes a lure having a longitudinal tubular passage therethrough, and a bait plug having a similar configuration for installation in the lure passage. Pahle states that the bait plug is adapted to dissolve as water washes through the tube of the lure. However, he does not provide any means of sealing the bait plug before installation in the lure, other than providing a waterproof pouch for their carriage. Thus, the angler must handle the exposed bait during installation in the lure. In contrast, the scent of the present scented lure is sealed in a chamber within the lure prior to use, and is not touched by the angler.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,780 issued on Dec. 5, 1995 to Lee E. Hopson, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Lure With Rechargeable Container For An Attractant,xe2x80x9d describes a lure having a removable tube therein, for containing the attractant material. A separate charging container is provided, with which the angler refills the tube within the lure as required. The tubes may be removed in order to allow the angler to use different attractants or scents as desired. This differs from the present invention, in that the present scented lure comprises a sealed chamber which is not breached until immediately before use. Each charge of attractant or scent is completely sealed, and the scent is not replenished, as in other lures having an attractant or scent therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,668 issued on Sep. 17, 1996 to Bernard P. Brasseur, titled xe2x80x9cMethod And Device For Locating Bait At Desired Depth While Fishing,xe2x80x9d describes what might be loosely considered a xe2x80x9cCarolina rig,xe2x80x9d in that it maintains the lure or bait at a predetermined distance above the bottom of the body of water. However, Brasseur passes the fishing line through the float element, through a generally horizontal tube which extends therethrough. A hook snell or leader extends from the end of the fishing line to the lure or bait and hook. The lure or bait is more dense than water, and sinks to the end of the snell or leader. Thus, Brasseur must take into account the length of the snell as well as the height above the bottom desired, when determining the length of the sinker line. The present invention eliminates this problem, by providing a buoyant lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,928 issued on Mar. 24, 1998 to Ronald A. Anderson, titled xe2x80x9cBait Fluid Dispensing Apparatus And Method For Crab Traps,xe2x80x9d describes a cylindrical housing having opposite end caps. One end cap includes a series of orifices therein, for releasing a bait scent contained within the device. The opposite cap is removable for replenishing the contents. No flotation is disclosed, and the FIG. 4 illustration shows the device resting upon the bottom of a crab trap, rather than floating to the top of the trap. Also, no means of attaching a fishing line, lure, or hook to the device is disclosed in the Anderson ""928 U.S. Patent, each of which features are a part of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,617 issued on Feb. 27, 2001 to Adolph L. Lyles, titled xe2x80x9cElectronic Fishing Lure Assembly,xe2x80x9d describes a lure having a cavity therein for installing a scent producing agent of some type. Heating elements are also provided, for heating the scent producing substance in order to promote dissipation of the scent in the water. However, Lyles does not disclose any means of keeping the scent producing material sealed until immediately prior to use, as is done with the present invention. Moreover, Lyles does not disclose any means of holding his lure at a predetermined distance above the bottom of a body of water, as may be accomplished with the present lure. Lyles is silent regarding the density or buoyancy of his lure as well, whereas the present lure is buoyant.
Finally, British Patent Publication No. 2,310,349 published on Aug. 27, 1997 to Julian Woolnough, titled xe2x80x9cFishing Bait Capsule,xe2x80x9d describes a capsule containing a scent or fish attractant, with the capsule comprising a water soluble shell. The capsule remains sealed until it is immersed in water, whereupon the shell slowly dissolves to release the fish attractant substance. The problem with this approach is that the scent contained within the capsule remains completely sealed therein and is not released for some time after the capsule and associated hook, lure, etc. are lowered into the water. However, once the capsule shell dissolves, the material therein is dissipated into the water all at once. The present scented lure releases the scent material gradually, due to piercing the sealed chamber with the fish hook accompanying the lure.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a disposable, buoyant scented lure solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The present invention comprises a scented fishing lure, in which the fish attractant scent material is completely sealed within the lure body until immediately before use by the angler. The lure is formed of a soft, resilient plastic material, e.g., a polyvinyl resin or other suitable material, to provide economical disposal after a single use. The lure body includes a hollow cavity or chamber therein, with the fish attractant scent being placed within the lure body cavity before use. A buoyant flotation element may also be placed in the lure body cavity at this time. The scent material and flotation element are then both sealed into the lure cavity, at the time of lure manufacture or thereafter.
When the present lure is to be used, the angler need only insert the hook through the flotation and scent chamber or cavity within the hollow lure body and pass the hook therethrough, in a manner similar to that used in installing a hook in natural bait. The hook penetrates the scent impregnated cavity of the lure, with the scent slowly dissipating from the lure through the holes left by the hook insertion. The present lure may be economically discarded once the fish attracting scent has substantially dissipated from the lure body.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a buoyant fish lure having a fish attractant scent therein.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a lure which is formed of a soft, resilient plastic material and which has a hollow body chamber or cavity for placement of a fish attractant scent and a flotation element therein.
It is a further object of the invention to seal the fish attractant scent and flotation element within the hollow body chamber or cavity of the lure, precluding escape of the scent prior to using the lure.
Still another object of the invention is to release the fish attracting scent material by installing a fish hook through the lure immediately before using the lure, thereby allowing the scent material to dissipate slowly from the lure by means of the perforations provided by the hook insertion therethrough.
An additional object of the invention is to provide various tackle assemblies for positioning the present lure at a predetermined location above the bottom or on or below the surface of a body of water being fished.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will becomes readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.